Love Among the Fallen
by Warcow-Ushi
Summary: Sakura has become increasingly more nervious about Sasuke causing her to question her friends and family. When she sees Sasuke's corpse she is pushed to the ends of the earth and betrays the one place she has ever called home. But will Itachi change her..


Love Among the Fallen

By: Warcow-Ushi

Prologue

Welcome to my fanfic this is my attempt to prove that you can in fact have any pairing you want within the confines of the story. Now as with any fanfic it will not directly follow the story it eventually splits from the story but in a manor that actually has reason and does not change the main points of the characters' emotions without proper stimuli. As such this fanfic will be rather long as far as fanfic go (most have 1-3 chapters I will have quite a few more) And with that out of the way I begin. The story starts mere hours after the return of team Kakashi (lead by Yamato) from the base of Orochimaru, and their shocking confrontation with Sasuke. Oh yes I will be skipping to parts of the manga I don't see as important (like the Hidan fights) if you are reading this you probably are waiting for the newest chapter anyways. The first few days of this first chapter will seem kind of fast passed this is because I will not split until they leave like in the recent chapters and I need to show her emotional state during this time.

**Chapter 1**

**The Ring**

Sakura looks out at Konoha from the roof of her home. Thanks to her abilities she has almost completely recovered from her resent injuries. Her thoughts entirely focused on the words he spoke. "It is not that I did not sever those bonds I merely chose to spare your life on a whim."

"Sasuke-kun, why Sasuke-kun?" she said softly to herself as a small tear ran down her cheek, "Why won't you come back?"

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The next few days were uneventful at best. Tsunade had sent team Sarutobi on a routine recon mission to investigate some suspicious behavior in the out skirts of town. It had been raining most of the day so Sakura was busy working some drills in Tsunade's office (Shizune was not currently present) when a messenger bursts into the room.

"Godaime-Sama!! Godaime-Sama!!" urgently yelled the messenger tightly clasping a tattered and obviously hastily rolled scroll due to the uneven and loose appearance.

"What is it?" Sakura and Tsunade say simultaneously.

"It's Sarutobi. He's dead." the messenger spoke with a certain amount of disbelief.

"Sarutobi! What happened!?"

The messenger spoke slower this time and less franticly. "While on their reconnaissance mission team Sarutobi meet opposition in the form of two unidentified intruders believed to be members of the organization Akatsuki."

"Were the intruders arrested?" Sakura questioned not believing her ears.

"No they ran just moments before his death."

"Prepare the proper funeral procession." Tsunade said abruptly.

"Bu-", Sakura interjected.

"Prepare the funeral processions we can take actions after the funeral." She said sharply to Sakura.

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"It rained like this during the Third's funeral too." Shikamaru said to Sakura as they stood in the crowd watching looking over at the casket. Ino and Choji bowed their heads and fought back the tears they both wanted to shed for their fallen teacher. Sakura however did not feel their pain. She had not known Sarutobi well. What little she knew was from her work with the Hokage and stories that Shikamaru and the others had told her. The only feelings of sadness were brought about by the fact that Tsunade had not sent a team to capture the men who did this. Why had she not pursued a possible lead that could have given them a way to find Sasuke? Why is she stalling their rescue efforts with this funeral? Why?

"Sakura stay here. We have some business to attend to we'll see you latter." Shikamaru said now with his, Choji's and Ino's backs to her walking away. She wanted to ask where they were going. She wanted to ask what was going on. But the thoughts of Tsunade's earlier betrayal were too much, and all she could do was cry. "She promised" she said softly to herself. "She promised she would help us get him back. She promised it would be first priority. Why am I the only one who seems to care about Sasuke?" These thoughts were of course not serious. After all she loved Konoha, didn't she? The more and more she tried to oppress these thoughts the more she just wanted to scream. She sat there in the rain for several hours. Naruto had come over a few times but she had simply told him that he shouldn't worry and he should go back to his training. Even though she had wanted his comfort deep inside, it was jus not something that she could take.

About an hour or so before sundown she found her way home where Shizune was waiting.

"Sakura! Where have you been? Tsunade-sama has asked that Team Kakashi meet in her office an hour ago." She spoke frantically, "Get changed and let's hurry."

Sakura rushed upstairs to change maybe all those hours she was moping around Tsunade was preparing a team to find them. Maybe one had already left. These thoughts brought new courage and hope but the damage was already done. She had already felt the sting of betrayal, and the wounds were already there.

Minutes later in Tsunade's office Sakura, Naruto, Sai, and Yamato stand and wait for Tsunade to begin.

"During today's procession Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Choji, and Hatake Kakashi left on a pursuit mission to arrest the intruders Sarutobi encountered earlier today.

Naruto bursts out in anger "Why didn't you send us? We could have helped! Why would you send them?"

"Naruto calm down." Sakura said against her more passionate feelings she knew that if they were to save Sasuke she knew that Tsunade was an important source of information in addition to being her teacher. Her feelings would have to wait for now.

"Yamato how close is Naruto to completing the technique?" Tsunade said as soon as Naruto and Sakura regained their composure.

"Naruto spoke before Yamato had the chance, "I'm this close!!!!" making a sort of hand gesture in Tsunade's face.

"Shizune."

"Yes Godaime-sama?" Shizune replied.

"Prepare a team to back up Shikamaru and the others."

"What!?!" Naruto exclaimed, "You should send us!"

"No we can't afford for you to miss any more time on your training."

"Yes I can." He said, "What if they have information on Sasuke?"

"Fine I'll make you a deal Naruto. If you can finish that technique by dawn tomorrow I'll send your team." Tsunade replied softly.

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A few hours before dawn Sakura was just about to settle into bed, the day had been bad but at least Tsunade had kept her promise. She thought about the things she had wanted to do earlier including but none of that mattered anymore.

A tap came at her window. "Hey Sakura, you there?" said Naruto's familiar voice from outside, "are you ready to go?"

Looking out her window she could faintly see the figures of Naruto, Sai, and Yamato barely lit by the dim street lights. "What's going on?" Sakura asked quietly so not to wake her mother sleeping just a few feet away.

"We're going." Naruto said.

"What do you mean we're going?" She asked.

"He completed the technique. We are going to be the back up for Shikamaru's group." Yamato replied before allowing Naruto to have another loud burst and possibly wake the rest of the neighborhood.

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Sakura had never gotten ready faster. She ripped off her night gown and was into her tank top and shorts with her shuriken case already strapped on. On the way her thoughts were racing. Tsunade had finally sent them nut why had she stalled for so long? Why was this any different than the other missions they had been sent on involving the Akatsuki? Why is Naruto the only other person who seems to care about finding Sasuke? Regardless of how many times she asked the questions she couldn't find an answer.

They had been traveling for just an hour or two when they found Kakashi and the others fighting what looked like a monster made of thousands of thick black cords. Kakashi looks worse than he did at the end of any of the battles she had witnessed in the prior years. Sakura rushed over ready at anytime to perform her medical ninjutsu. She wanted to help her teacher but as she rushed he barked out commands for each of the team members who had just arrived. Her assignment was to back up Shikamaru who had no support at this time. She hated that. She was never given a fight of her own even on their first mission she was always backup. Sakura backup Tazuna. Sakura Back up the villagers. Now it was Sakura Back up Shikamaru. Why was she always the backup? Why couldn't she be more important to them? Why couldn't she be the one in charge for once? But not wasn't the time her job was to go help Shikamaru and so with a simple yes she left in the direction the said he left.

A few minutes after she left she heard a massive explosion. Without knowledge of the enemy's abilities she quickened her pace. She had hoped to reach him before he won the battle so she could finally see the action she desired. She wanted to fight; she wanted to do that which only she alone was deprived. She wanted to kill. Even Naruto had had at least one chance to kill. Only she had been denied this.

She could hear a second explosion in the distance.

Shikamaru came into view. He did not look injured. He did not even look as if he had battled. But as she came closer she could see that the battle had ended and Shikamaru had won without any difficulty.

"I guess I'm a little late?" she said as she approached.

"I had to do this alone." He replied, "This man killed Asuma."

"Heh, so I guess we should get back." She said, "Incase they need some more help."

"Ya, I guess we should." He said starting back in the direction of the others.

Sakura stood there for the moment and just looked around when a small silver ring with a ruby in it caught her eye. It had a little blood on it but other than that it had not been scratched. In the center stone was engraved the kanji for the number three. She did not know what it was but this ring spoke to her. Without thinking she quickly put it in her shuriken bag and caught up to Shikamaru.

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Authors note

Okay this is the first chapter and yes I realize that Itachi hasn't' shown up yet. But Trust me you'll thank me for it later.


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